What are the English language exams (testing organizations) accepted by the UK?
Following Brexit, the UK government created many new visa routes to fill the shortage of skilled workers and, in the visa types it has created, it generally requires a certain level of English language proficiency. You must demonstrate your language proficiency during your visa application. In addition to other accepted methods, you can prove your language proficiency through exams conducted by institutions approved by the Home Office.
Different immigration and visa types require different skills to be demonstrated. Therefore, there are two types of exams available. If you are applying for one of the following visa types, you will need to take an exam that evaluates your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills:
• Health and Care Worker
• High Potential Individual
• Innovator Visa
• Religious Worker Visa
• Scale-up Visa
• Skilled Worker Visa
• Start-up Visa
• Student Visa
For the following application routes, you will need to take an exam that evaluates your speaking and listening skills:
• Citizenship
• International Sportsperson
• Parent
• Partner
• Representative of an Overseas Business
• Settlement (also known as ILR)
The standard to be used to demonstrate your English language proficiency is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) standards.
What are the approved institutions and accepted exams?
If you are currently in the UK and applying for visa types, you can only take the SELT with one of the following providers:
• LanguageCert
• Pearson
• Trinity College London
• IELTS SELT Consortium
If you are outside the UK when you apply for the visa, you can only take the SELT with one of the following providers:
• LanguageCert
• Pearson
• PSI Services (UK) Ltd.
• IELTS SELT Consortium
The type of exam you take must be one of the following:
• Pearson: "PTE Academic UKVI" or "PTE Home"
• PSI Services: "Skills for English UKVI"
• Trinity College London: "Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) for UKVI" - Integrated Skills in English (ISE) or Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) in spoken English
• IELTS SELT Consortium: "IELTS for UKVI" or "IELTS Life Skills"
• LanguageCert: "LanguageCert International ESOL SELT"
What are the acceptance criteria for the exams?
To have your exam accepted, it must:
√ Be conducted by one of the institutions listed above
√ Have been taken under the conditions and at the locations specified by the exam requirements
√ Have been taken no more than 2 years before the date you apply for the visa.